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Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England
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Historical SummaryAlthough the attacks of the Northmen upon England had lasted intermittently for nearly two hundred years, they were now renewed, after a halfcentury’s interval, with still greater violence. Under the leadership of the kings of Denmark the invaders were far too strong for the English, and the fatal policy of buying them off by the payment of tribute was adopted. Even this was not successful, and after long and destructive contests the English king was forced to go into exile, while the Danish king was accepted by all the people of England, Danish and English alike. These occurrences are well brought out in the entries in the Chronicle for this period.
??DE, Ecclesiastical History and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 389–412; trans. by ??. A. Giles. World History CHAPTER VI
The Danish and the Norman Conquests, 975–1071
I.
THE DANISH CONQUEST
48. Extracts from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
A.D. 991. This year was Ipswich ravaged, and after that very shortly was Brihtnoth the ealdorman slain at Maldon, and in that year it was decreed that tribute for the first time should be given to the Danish men, on account of the great terror which they caused on the seacoast: that was at first ten thousand pounds. This council was first given by Archbishop Sigeric.
A.D. 994. In this year came Olaf and Swegen to London on St. Mary’s day with ninety-four ships; and then they continued fighting stoutly against the city, and would also have set fire to it. . . . Then the king and his witan decreed that they should be sent to and promised tribute and food, on condition that they should cease from their plundering. . . .
A.D. 1004. This year Swegen came with his fleet to Norwich and entirely spoiled and burned the town. Then decreed Ulfkytel, with the witan of East Anglia, that it were better that they should purchase peace of the army before they did very much harm to the land; because they had come unawares, and he had not time to gather his forces. . . .
A.D. 1006. Then became the dread of the army so great that no men could think and discourse how they could be driven out of the land, or this land maintained against them; for they had every shire in Wessex sadly marked by burning and by plundering. Then the king began earnestly with his witan to consider what might seem advisable to them all, so that this land might be saved before it was utterly destroyed. Then the king and his witan decreed on behalf of the whole nation, though it was hateful to them all, that they needs must pay tribute to the army. Then the king sent to the army and directed it to be made known to them that he would that there should be a truce between them. . . .
A.D. 1007. In this year was the tribute delivered to the army, — thirty-six thousand pounds.
Ethelred goes into exile with Duke Richard of Normandy
A.D. 1013. Then departed the king at midwinter into the Isle of Wight, and was there during that season; and after that season he went over the sea to Richard, and was there with him till such time as Swegen was dead. . . .
A.D. 1014. In this year King Swegen ended his days, and all the fleet then chose Cnut for king. . . .
A.D. 1017. In this year King Cnut obtained the whole realm of the English race.
A.D. 1025. This year King Cnut went from England with fifty ships of English thanes to Norway and drove King Olaf out of the land, and possessed himself of all that land. . . .
A.D. 1031. This year King Cnut went to Rome. . . .
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Chicago: "The Danish Conquest," Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England in Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England, ed. Edward Potts Cheyney (1861-1947) (Boston: Ginn, 1935, 1922), 83–84. Original Sources, accessed December 4, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=AG116ME86F7LDCN.
MLA: . "The Danish Conquest." Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England, in Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England, edited by Edward Potts Cheyney (1861-1947), Boston, Ginn, 1935, 1922, pp. 83–84. Original Sources. 4 Dec. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=AG116ME86F7LDCN.
Harvard: , 'The Danish Conquest' in Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England. cited in 1922, Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England, ed. , Ginn, 1935, Boston, pp.83–84. Original Sources, retrieved 4 December 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=AG116ME86F7LDCN.
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